In an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, a SON (Self Organizing Network) technology is used. The SON technology integrates expert's experience and an intelligent technology into an automatic program, and enables the network to automatically collect data, analyze and discover a problem, and perform adjustment. Self-optimization is an instance of the SON.
In some cases, the self-optimization of the SON is expected to automatically run, automatically optimize network parameters and performance, and so on; and it is expected that a state of the self-optimization can be known at any time, so that complete self-optimization management can be implemented. In other cases (for example, in the case of network-wide commissioning and test or when the network runs stably), however, the current state of the network is expected to be maintained, and the self-optimization of the network is not expected to be enabled. Even in some special cases (for example, commissioning of some functions of the network), only some of the self-optimization functions of the network are expected to be disabled without affecting running of other self-optimization processes. Therefore, to satisfy these actual scenario requirements, the LTE needs to be able to not only provide self-optimization of the network but also control enabling and disabling of each optimization function.
A 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network management system introduces a concept of an integration reference point (IRP). An information model of an interface defined by the IRP includes a managed object, a network resource model (NRM), and information exchange semantics. The managed object of the NRM refers to all physical networks and logical networks owned by an operator and nodes (for example, physical devices in an equipment room) connected to those networks. A standard Interface-N is available between an integration reference point manager (IRPManager) and an integration reference point agent (IRPAgent).
Currently, the 3GPP already defines the following IRPs: an Alarm IRP, a Basic CM (basic configuration management) IRP, a Bulk CM (bulk data configuration management) IRP, a Performance Management IRP, a Generic Network Resource IRP, a Notification IRP, and an Inventory IRP. These IRPs already satisfy most interface requirements and service requirements.
However, in the self-optimization management of the SON, the existing IRPs cannot satisfy the requirements for controlling the enabling and disabling of a self-optimization process, and a state of the self-optimization process cannot be known at any time.